Mickelson is experimenting with a 2-iron for US Open

It must be US Open week. Phil Mickelson has revised his set of clubs. Again.

Lefty has been experimenting with a 2-iron. It's six years old but he hasn't been able to get it to behave until recently. He tweaked it until he got it to fly about 255 yards (not 250, mind you) off the tee, "which is what I'm gunning for."

Specially designed for Congressional Country Club, he figures.

Anything that can keep him out of the woods would be a valuable addition to his sticks.

No surprise here. Mickelson has been, shall we say, a free thinker when it comes to his stuff and his game. He used two drivers in the 2006 Masters, which he won. He left the driver out of his bag in the 2008 Open and tied for 18th.

The way he experiments with his clubs is somewhat reflective of his playing style. Taking chances. Nothing halfway. Delighting the galleries, perplexing the experts in the broadcast booths.

To each his own. Between 1957 and 1970, Billy Casper used the same set of woods and won 42 tournaments, including two US Opens, with them. Between 1960 and 1970, he played with the same set of irons and won 33 times.

He broke three of the clubs but had them reshafted and played on.

Arnold Palmer was forever beating on his clubs, even between rounds. More than once, he used a different putter every day for the four days of a tournament.

On the other hand, Bubba Watson, who can drive a golf ball across a couple of counties, uses only one ball per round. Most pros play only a few holes with a ball. He changes only if his ball is damaged. You'd think his ball was damaged every time he whops it off the tee but apparently not.

Many of the players advancing on Congressional this week are undoubtedly subbing in this club or that to deal with that course's demands.

Maybe it'll help and maybe it won't. It's still going to be what's under a guy's shirt and between his ears that takes the cup.

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